No more Gold subscription to watch Netflix on Xbox Live

Microsoft is going to finally embrace the fact its Xbox consoles are not just gaming systems as it is looking to make Netflix available through the free Silver subscription, reports say.

According to ArsTechnica, the free availability of access to a user's Netflix account will also apply to Hulu users in the US who, if they were paying a yearly subscription, would have to pay approximately €49 to access their already paid-for content streaming site.

For users of the console who see it as more of a home entertainment system rather than a gaming console, this has proven a very expensive way of watching shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

However, the same reports suggest that this is hardly a gesture of good will on the part of Microsoft whose major competitors – Sony and Nintendo – already offer the same service free since the launch of the Playstation 4 and Wii U, respectively.

It is now expected that Microsoft will look to make up this lost revenue by putting other sections of Xbox Live behind a paywall, with access to its upcoming list of TV series as part of Xbox Entertainment Studios.